Carrying devices for panel ceiling structures



N 1966 o. s. HALBOSTAD ETAL 3,236,425

CARRYING DEVICES FOR PANEL CEILING STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1963 UIIMAITOES.

ODDVH S. )InmosT/w 22, 1966 o. s. HALBOSTAD ETAL 3,286,426

CARRYING DEVICES FOR PANEL CEILING STRUCTURES Filed June 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 l /i YE a; /0' 9 lp/ol 3 N zuraes.

Olwvrm 5 Fmsosmqu Qw ume Hzuesu/ United States Patent 6 Claims. (cl. 52-4 1 The present invention relates to a carrying device for panel ceiling structures comprising a number of preferably standard ceiling panels connected with parallel carrying rails which rails are attached to overlying girders extending at right angles to said rails and supported from overhead building structure or permanent ceiling.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a carrying device of the type referred to in which the necessary number of fastening points in the permanent ceiling may be reduced to a minimum, such as one fastening point for each 25-30 m ceiling area, in which the location of the fastening points is not dependent on exact measures but may be moved according to occurring obstacles, such as channels or the like, and nevertheless the girder may be mounted in correct position, and in which carrying rails may be attached to an overlying girder so that they may be vertically adjusted in relation thereto.

The invention thus provides a fastening or carrying device for a panel ceiling structure which is inexpensive and easy to assemble and adjust at the same time as a substantially free space may be obtained between the panel ceiling and the overlying permanent ceiling.

The invention is hereinafter described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a supporting member for a girder mounted rotatably and axially adjustable on a fastening bolt.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view along the line IIII in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view partly in section of the panels suspended on the girder.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show detail views.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a somewhat modified embodiment of the supporting member and FIG. 7 is a top plan view along the line VIIVII in FIG. 6.

In the drawing 1 denotes a permanent ceiling to which a panel ceiling is to be secured. For that purpose a fastening bolt 2 is secured in the permanent ceiling 1 at a chosen point, either by shooting into the material of said ceiling or in another suitable manner, which bolt 2 has screwed thereon an extension sleeve 3 adapted to the desired distance between the ceiling 1 and the panel ceiling. The upper end of the extension sleeve may be provided with a flange 3', preferably threaded thereon, serving to rest against the lower surface of the ceiling 1.

A horizontal supporting bracket or member, generally denoted 4, is rotatably supported on the sleeve 3 and retained thereon by a nut 8 engaging external threads on the sleeve so that the member 4 in order to adjust the level thereof may be axially displaced on the sleeve by means of said nut. The supporting member 4 comprises a pair of preferably rectangular plates 5 which are superposed and interconnected by a cross-web 6 placed at some distance from the middle of the plates so that the plates may be provided with coaxial bores 7 approximately at the middle, as shown, so as to be journalled rotatably on the extension sleeve 3 as above described.

Mounted on the sleeve 3 the supporting member 4 serves to receive and support between its projecting plate Patented Nov. 22, 1966 ends a preferably channel shaped horizontal girder 9 which is retained in the member 4 by means of a locking bolt 10 passed through registering slots 5' in the respective plates and secured by means of a nut 11. The bores 7 of the member 4 may be so positioned that the girder 9 mounted at one end of the member 4 obtains greater distance from the axes of the sleeve 7 than when mounted at the other end of the member, and said difference may be utilized for regulating the position of the girder in the carrying system.

The supporting bracket or member 4 is positioned at or near the middle of the girder 9 the ends of which at the fixed level may be connected to the adjacent wall 12, FIG. 5. To that end a rod 15 is connected to the girder 9 by means of a bolt and slot connection 13, 14 and has its outer end bent into an angle 15 which is secured to the wall 12 by means of a screw 16 or the like.

After having mounted the girder 9 in correct position as above described carrying rails 17 for the panels are suspended on the girder by means of angle shaped clips 18 so that said rails extend at right angle to the longitudinal direction of the girder.

The clips 18 each comprises an upper horizontal leg 19 to rest on the upper side of the girder, said leg 19 has its free end portion bent into a hook 20 (FIG. 1) so as to catch round the upper flange of the girder and hold the clip, and a vertical leg 21 resting against the web of the girder, said vertical leg 21 being provided at its lower end with an outwardly bent horizontal portion 22 having a slot 23 therein.

Formed in this manner the clips 18 may be placed on and removed from the girder 9 in an easy manner and may also be displaced in the longitudinal direction thereof for adjustment.

The clips 18 serve to support fastening screws or bolts 24 inserted in the slots 23 thereof and secured by upper and lower nuts 25 and 26 respectively, so that the bolts are secured at the fixed level. The lower end of each bolt 24 is connected to a holder 27, having a substantially C-shaped cross section adapted to receive a corresponding head shaped portion 28 of the carrying rails 17 so that the rails may be displaced longitudinally in the holders. The head portion of the rail 17 has a pair of downwardly converging springy legs 29 which along its lower edge portions are provided with flutes 30 adapted to receive corresponding beads 31, formed in upwardly bent edge portions of panels 32 made from sheet metal, whereby the edge portions of the panels when forced in between the legs 29 are held firmly due to the spring action of the legs. By this arrangement the clips 18 together with the carrying rails 17 secured thereto may be displaced into correct position as the panels are mounted in rows. By means of the bolts 24 the carrying rails 17 may be adjusted separately in vertical direction in order to obtain a completely plane panel ceiling.

At the ends the carrying rails 17 are supported by bracket shaped rails 33 secured to the adjacent wall 12', said carrying rails having projecting rods 34 resting on a shoulder of the rail 33, while a lower bent portion 35 of said rail 33 serves to support the edge portion of adjacent panels 32.

The panels 32 may be made from sheet metal and provided with upwardly bent marginal portions. The panels may be provided with perforations and also with an upper layer of insulating or sound absorbing material 32'.

In the event of that the fastening bolt 2 of any reason cannot be placed in a point at the middle of the permanent ceiling surface. The supporting member 4 may be modified as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 whereby the fastening bolt may be placed at the necessary distance from said point and the supporting member rotated about the bolt for correct position of the girder.

According to this embodiment the supporting member comprises a hub 36 having a bore to receive the sleeve 3 as above described. Said hub 36 is provided at the upper and lower end with radially projecting parallel arms 37 having registering slots 38 for locking bolts between which the girder 9 may be secured at the necessary distance from the axis of the sleeve 3. Further the supporting member and the girder may be angularly displaced as indicated in dot and dash lines in FIG. 7, the distance between the locking bolts 10' being adapted accordingly.

In order to counteract possible bending strains on the sleeve 3, the hub 36 is provided, with an arm 39, projecting diametrically opposite the arms 37, which arm 39 is provided with a pressure screw 40 which may be operated to press against the ceiling 1 and balance the load exerted by the girder 9.

From the above it will be observed that the invention provides a carrying device for panel ceiling which makes it possible to reduce the fastening points to a minimum, to place a fastening point arbitrarily within a radius of 50 to70 cm. to adjust the separate carrying rails for the panels as well as the panel ceiling as a whole in vertical direction.

We claim:

1. In a carrying device for a panel ceiling the combination of a supporting member mounted rotatably and axially adjustable on a fastening bolt secured in an overhead building structure, said bolt forming the axis of rotation of said supporting member, a horizontal girder supported between its ends by said supporting member, means for retaining said girder at different distances from the axis of rotation of said supporting member, angle shaped clips suspended on said girder displaceably in the longitudinal direction thereof, slotted horizontal lower end portions on said clips, carrying rails for panels arranged below said clips and extending at right angles to the girder and screw means adjustably connecting said carrying rails to said end portions.

2. In a carrying device for a panel ceiling according to claim 1, in which the supporting member is in the form of a horizontal bracket which is rotatably supported on the fastening bolt intermediate the bracket ends, one of the bracket ends being provided with vertical screw means operable to exert a balancing pressure against the overhead building structure.

3. In a carrying device for a panel ceiling according to claim 2, in which the bracket is provided with a hub intermediate the ends thereof through which said fastening bolt passes, said hub having a pair of radially extending and vertically spaced arms between which said girder is inserted and secured in position by means of bolts passed through registering slots in said arms.

4. In a carrying device for a panel ceiling according to claim 1 in which the supporting member is rotatably and axially adjustably supported on an extension sleeve threaded on the fastening bolt.

5. In a carrying device for a panel ceiling according to claim 1, in which each of the carrying rails is supported by an angle shaped clip suspended on the girder, said rail being connected to the clip by screw means allowing adjustment of the rail in vertical direction.

6. In a carrying device for a panel ceiling, according to claim 5, in which the clip is provided with a slotted horizontal portion for a fastening bolt the lower end of which is provided with a mainly C-shaped clip adapted to receive an upper head shaped portion of the carrying rail.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,779,564 10/1930 Slagel 248-324 X 2,939,543 6/1960 Zingone 52-484 X 3,017,174 1/1962 Reuter 24859 X FOREIGN PATENTS 642,473 9/1950 Great Britain. 324,998 12/1957 Switzerland.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. A. C. PERHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CARRYING DEVICE FOR A PANEL CEILING THE COMBINATION OF A SUPPORTING MEMBER MOUNTED ROTATABLY AND AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE ON A FASTENING BOLT SECURED IN AN OVERHEAD BUILDING STRUCTURE, AND BOLT FORMING THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, A HORIZONTAL GIRDER SUPPORTED BETWEEN ITS ENDS BY SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID GIRDER AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, ANGLE SHAPED CLIPS SUSPENDED ON SAID GIRDER DISPLACEABLY IN THE LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTION THEREOF, SLOTTED HORIZONTAL LOWER END PORTIONS ON SAID CLIPS, CARRYING RAILS FOR PANELS ARRANGED BELOW SAID CLIPS AND EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE GIRDER AND SCREW MEANS ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING SAID CARRYING RAILS TO SAID END PORTIONS. 